Firefighters put out a massive fire that started around 2 a.m. on Sept. 29, 2013, in southwest Edmonton. A condo development under construction at 119th St. and 21st Ave. SW was destroyed, causing $17 million damage.John Lucas
/ Edmonton Journal

Firefighters put out a massive fire that started around 2 a.m. on Sept. 29, 2013, in southwest Edmonton. A condo development under construction at 119th St. and 21st Ave. SW was destroyed, causing $17 million damage.John Lucas
/ Edmonton Journal

A three-alarm fire early Sunday in southwest Edmonton totally engulfed a condominium development under construction at 119th St. and 21st Ave. SW.Leonard Choi, supplied
/ Edmonton Journal

A three-alarm fire early Sunday in southwest Edmonton totally engulfed a condominium development under construction at 119th St. and 21st Ave. SW.Leonard Choi, supplied
/ Edmonton Journal

Townhouses across the street from a massive condo fire were damaged on Sept. 29, 2013. A condo development under construction at 119th St. and 21st Ave. SW was destroyed, causing $17 million damage.John Lucas
/ Edmonton Journal

A new crew of firefighters suit up in front of townhouses that were damaged by a massive fire across the street on Sept. 29, 2013. A condo development under construction at 119th St. and 21st Ave. SW was destroyed, causing $17 million damage.John Lucas
/ Edmonton Journal

A three-alarm fire early Sunday in southwest Edmonton totally engulfed a condominium development under construction at 119th St. and 21st Ave. SW.Eric Petersen, Supplied
/ Edmonton Journal

A three-alarm fire early Sunday in southwest Edmonton totally engulfed a condominium development under construction at 119th St. and 21st Ave. SW.Eric Petersen, Supplied
/ Edmonton Journal

A three-alarm fire early Sunday in southwest Edmonton totally engulfed a condominium development under construction at 119th St. and 21st Ave. SW.Eric Petersen, Supplied
/ Edmonton Journal

A three-alarm fire early Sunday in southwest Edmonton totally engulfed a condominium development under construction at 119th St. and 21st Ave. SW.Eric Petersen, Supplied
/ Edmonton Journal

Firefighters work to put out a massive fire that started around 2 a.m. on Sept. 29, 2013, in southwest Edmonton. A condo development under construction at 119th St. and 21st Ave. SW was destroyed, causing $17 million damage.John Lucas
/ Edmonton Journal

Firefighters work to put out a massive fire that started around 2 a.m. on Sept. 29, 2013, in southwest Edmonton. A condo development under construction at 119th St. and 21st Ave. SW was destroyed, causing $17 million damage.John Lucas
/ Edmonton Journal

Firefighters work to put out a massive fire that started around 2 a.m. on Sept. 29, 2013, in southwest Edmonton. A condo development under construction at 119th St. and 21st Ave. SW was destroyed, causing $17 million damage.John Lucas
/ Edmonton Journal

People look at the remains of a condo development under construction destroyed by fire at 119th St. and 21st Ave. SW in Edmonton on Sept. 29, 2013.John Lucas
/ Edmonton Journal

Firefighters work to put out a massive fire that started around 2 a.m. on Sept. 29, 2013, in southwest Edmonton. A condo development under construction at 119th St. and 21st Ave. SW was destroyed, causing $17 million damage.John Lucas
/ Edmonton Journal

A three-alarm fire early Sunday in southwest Edmonton totally engulfed a condominium development under construction at 119th St. and 21st Ave. SW.Eric Petersen, Supplied
/ Edmonton Journal

A three-alarm fire early Sunday in southwest Edmonton totally engulfed a condominium development under construction at 119th St. and 21st Ave. SW.Eric Petersen, Supplied
/ Edmonton Journal

A three-alarm fire early Sunday in southwest Edmonton totally engulfed a condominium development under construction at 119th St. and 21st Ave. SW.Eric Petersen, Supplied
/ Edmonton Journal

A three-alarm fire early Sunday in southwest Edmonton totally engulfed a condominium development under construction at 119th St. and 21st Ave. SW.Eric Petersen, Supplied
/ Edmonton Journal

A three-alarm fire early Sunday in southwest Edmonton totally engulfed a condominium development under construction at 119th St. and 21st Ave. SW.Eric Petersen, Supplied
/ Edmonton Journal

A three-alarm fire early Sunday in southwest Edmonton totally engulfed a condominium development under construction at 119th St. and 21st Ave. SW.Eric Petersen, Supplied
/ Edmonton Journal

A three-alarm fire early Sunday in southwest Edmonton totally engulfed a condominium development under construction at 119th St. and 21st Ave. SW.Eric Petersen, Supplied
/ Edmonton Journal

A three-alarm fire early Sunday in southwest Edmonton totally engulfed a condominium development under construction at 119th St. and 21st Ave. SW.Eric Petersen, Supplied
/ Edmonton Journal

A three-alarm fire early Sunday in southwest Edmonton totally engulfed a condominium development under construction at 119th St. and 21st Ave. SW.Eric Petersen, Supplied
/ Edmonton Journal

A three-alarm fire early Sunday in southwest Edmonton totally engulfed a condominium development under construction at 119th St. and 21st Ave. SW.Chris Ha, Supplied
/ Edmonton Journal

A three-alarm fire early Sunday in southwest Edmonton totally engulfed a condominium development under construction at 119th St. and 21st Ave. SW.Chris Ha, Supplied
/ Edmonton Journal

A three-alarm fire early Sunday in southwest Edmonton totally engulfed a condominium development under construction at 119th St. and 21st Ave. SW.Supplied
/ Edmonton Journal

A three-alarm fire early Sunday in southwest Edmonton totally engulfed a condominium development under construction at 119th St. and 21st Ave. SW.Dana McVey, Supplied
/ Edmonton Journal

A three-alarm fire early Sunday in southwest Edmonton totally engulfed a condominium development under construction at 119th St. and 21st Ave. SW.Max Chen, Supplied
/ Edmonton Journal

A three-alarm fire early Sunday in southwest Edmonton totally engulfed a condominium development under construction at 119th St. and 21st Ave. SW.Dana McVey, Supplied
/ Edmonton Journal

EDMONTON - Around 200 residents were evacuated from the Rutherford neighbourhood in southwest Edmonton after a massive fire early Sunday devastated a condominium complex that was under construction.

Propane tanks continued to explode and a massive swath of destruction roughly two blocks by one block smouldered long after a three-alarm fire was first reported around 2 a.m.

When it was at its peak after an industrial propane tank exploded around 3 a.m., there were 21 fire trucks and 85 firefighters on location, said Edmonton Fire Rescue spokesman Michael Tucker.

“(It) went off like a rocket onto a neighbouring property,” punching a hole in a wall, Tucker said of the initial propane blast.

The blaze was declared under control as of 9:15 a.m., but firefighters remained on scene spraying the debris with water.

The condos at 119th Street and 21st Avenue SW are surrounded by a field on one side and houses on the other.

Rutherford Landing development — which was in the framing stage and did not have siding that could have slowed the spread of flames — has been destroyed and neighbouring homes that had been occupied were damaged by the intense heat that also demolished cars.

Two rows of at least five townhouses had their vinyl siding melted off, leaving the front of the buildings blackened.

Brian Stoddard is president of the Carlisle Group, the company building the Rutherford Landing condo complex.

Stoddard said construction started eight months ago on three four-storey buildings, containing 91, 75 and 99 units. About 235 of those 265 units had been sold, with owners expected to move into the first building in December.

“There were a lot of people living across the street from that project and no one got hurt,” Stoddard said. “The rest of it is just wood and material, it can all be replaced, and that’s what we’ll do.”

Stoddard said reconstruction will begin as soon as authorities have completed their investigation and returned control of the site.

The timeline for completion will depend on whether the parkade can be saved, he said.

“If it’s damaged as well and that concrete has to be removed, it will take a little longer. If the parkade doesn’t have to be removed, I think we can have the site cleaned up in two weeks or less and we’ll start again.”

Carol Lane lives in one of the townhouses across from the fire. She waited on the street, anxious to find out the extent of the damage to her home. Lane is used to seeing damage caused by fires as she works for a security disaster firm, but she said this one was much larger than the apartment and house fires she usually deals with.

“When you go through (a fire) yourself, it’s a little different,” she said, still dressed in pyjamas. “It’s stressful. My cats are still in there.”

Social media was abuzz with comments about explosions. Musician Brett Miles tweeted: “Last night at 3 a.m. I heard the loudest noise sounded like a car fell from the sky onto someone’s house.”

“All I heard was like a bomb went off,” says 12-year-old David Buckler, who lives near the condominium complex.

Residents were temporarily relocated to awaiting ETS buses. Johnny Bright School, at Rutherford Road and 15th Avenue, was also opened to accommodate residents.

“We got our passports, insurance, jackets and we ran,” said Guia Adwan, a mother of three, who took shelter at the school. “It’s scary. I hope they find out what’s happened there. I hope it’s not arson.”

Her son Ayman said the propane tank explosion shook their house and sent ashes and embers falling from the sky.

The preliminary estimate of $17 million is for destruction of the condos alone and does not include damage to neighbouring homes. Tucker says it’s still too early to speculate on the cause.

It’s the biggest fire in the city since last Christmas, when eight businesses were destroyed in a $12-million blaze at 125th Street and 134th Avenue, he said. A pickup was driven into the front of the Bonanza restaurant at that location just before 2 a.m.

It’s also eerily reminiscent of the massive $20-million MacEwan fire in July 2007, an early-morning arson that destroyed 18 homes and damaged 76 more. A 149-unit condo complex under construction was also destroyed.

Members of the Canadian Red Cross Emergency Response Team are supporting the City of Edmonton to meet with those affected at an evacuation centre to assess their needs, Red Cross spokeswoman Calli Forbes said in a news release. The organization will provide emergency food, clothing and accommodation for the next 72 hours as required to those affected.

Police, paramedics and ATCO Gas also provided resource support at the site.

Epcor spokesman Tim LeRiche said between 300 and 400 customers were without power after the fire destroyed some of the company’s equipment, including a cubicle that feeds power to the neighbourhood.

LeRiche said power in most residences was restored by about 5 p.m. Sunday, but remained out in some fire-damaged homes.

The evacuation centre at Johnny Bright School was closed late Sunday afternoon, the City of Edmonton said in a tweet.

Calgary-based developer Carlisle Group specializes in developing low rise condominiums catering to the entry level market and the down-sizing market, according to the company’s website. The company was previously known as Pointe of View Developments, but was renamed during a change to the company’s corporate structure in early 2011.

In September 2007, a massive fire occurred in a nearly completed Pointe of View Development condo complex in New Westminster, B.C.

In April 2003, 44 firefighters and 18 rigs were called to a huge blaze at a two-building, $10-million Pointe of View condo complex under construction in southeast Calgary.

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